To defer student loan payments for survivors of sex-based harassment.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Fetterman (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Hirono, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill provides financial relief to student loan borrowers who are survivors of sex-based harassment, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. It allows these students to defer their federal student loan payments for up to 3 years if they had to reduce their course load after experiencing harassment, and enables the Department of Education to waive the requirement that they return grant funds (such as Pell Grants) when they withdraw from school due to harassment.
Who Benefits and How
Students who are survivors of sex-based harassment are the primary beneficiaries. They can defer loan payments for up to 3 years (in periods of 3-12 months) while recovering from their experience, without accruing penalties. They may also be relieved of the obligation to return grant money if they had to withdraw from school due to the harassment. To qualify, students must have reported the harassment to a Title IX coordinator, other Title IX official, or a health care provider - formal institutional findings are not required.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Education bears the administrative burden of implementing these provisions, processing deferment applications, and administering the grant waiver program. The department must also prepare a report to Congress within 5 years evaluating the program's effectiveness. Federal taxpayers indirectly bear the cost through waived grant repayments, though this is likely a relatively small fiscal impact given the targeted nature of the provision.
Key Provisions
- Loan deferment: Borrowers can defer federal student loan payments for up to 3 years total (in increments of 3-12 months) if they reduce their course load to below half-time and document having reported sex-based harassment to an appropriate official
- Grant waiver authority: The Secretary of Education may waive the requirement for students to return grant assistance, including Pell Grants, if they withdrew due to sex-based harassment
- Broad definition of harassment: Covers sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking as defined in Title IX regulations
- Low documentation burden: Students need only show they reported to a Title IX official or health care provider - no institutional finding of wrongdoing is required
- Congressional oversight: Requires a report to Congress within 5 years on program effectiveness and integrity
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to defer student loan payments and waive return of funds for survivors of sex-based harassment.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Includes sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.
Includes the Title IX coordinator, other Title IX officials or administrators at the institution, or a health care provider.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology